Pakistan Rules Out Any Deal With India in Kulbhushan Jadhav’s Case

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” in April 2017.

Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was accused of espionage by Pakistan and was sentenced to death on 10 April 2017.

(Photo: The Quint)

Pakistan on Thursday, 14 November, ruled out any deal with India in death-row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav's case and said any step taken to implement the ICJ's decision will be according to its Constitution.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal’s remarks came a day after Pakistan Army said the government was considering various legal options for the review of Jadhav’s case.

Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. India has maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

In a major victory for India, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 17 July ruled that Pakistan must review the death sentence given to Jadhav.

‘All Decisions As Per Local Laws’

Faisal in his weekly press briefing in Islamabad said, "There will be no deal. All decisions will be as per local laws."

He said that any step taken to implement the decision of the ICJ regarding Jadhav will be according to their Constitution.

During Jadhav's trial in the ICJ, India had argued that consular access was being denied to its national in violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Rejecting Pakistan's objection to admissibility of the Indian application in the case, the ICJ, in its 42-page order, held that "a continued stay of execution constitutes an indispensable condition for the effective review" of the sentence of Jadhav that had strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.

The bench, however, rejected some remedies sought by India, including annulment of the military court's decision convicting Jadhav, his release and safe passage to India.

Pakistan on 2 September had granted India consular access to Jadhav under the direction of the ICJ.

Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on 3 March, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

(This piece has been edited for clarity.)

(This piece has been published in an arrangement with PTI)